


Supernova

by katobaryzh



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: (kinda), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Human Zenyatta, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Major Character Injury, Prosthetics, cyborg zenyatta, empath zenyatta
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2020-04-23 06:27:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19145401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katobaryzh/pseuds/katobaryzh
Summary: Zenyatta is ambushed on what was supposed to be a simple relief mission. Genji is forced to consider all the things he and Zenyatta have been through and the wounds (both physical and emotional) he has helped to mend.





	Supernova

**Author's Note:**

> Come scream at me on twitter.com/katobaryzh  
> my sister forced me to publish this bc its been sitting in my docs forever  
> Also, yes Zen is an empath who can kinda hear people's thoughts. Don't @ me.

“I’m detecting SOS signals in the area.” Zenyatta announced. Soldier 76 looked to Winston, who nodded. The masked man pointed at two Overwatch agents who happened to be standing around awaiting orders.

“You and you. Go with Zenyatta to check out that SOS. Look out for each other.” Winston tapped at his earpiece as soon as the three set off. Just in case anything happened, he’d be listening in on the comms and brought up a screen to track their coordinates. It was so late into this mission that the signal could feasibly be a trap laid by Talon. The fact of the matter was that Zenyatta was an invaluable asset to the team, and Soldier 76 was sure Talon was planning something. He didn’t like this feeling one bit. He hoped the three would be able to work together if it was an ambush. He would much rather escort Zenyatta himself, but he was assigned to the civilian evacuation protocol. 

The team of three followed the signal through the scarred streets of a once sprawling metropolitan city. To think people crossed the busy intersections to get to their 9 to 5 office jobs just hours ago. The road and sidewalks were covered in glass from the buildings that towered above. Large chunks of asphalt had been torn out of the road leaving behind massive craters. This area had been victim to a bombing and Overwatch had been contacted to help with the relief effort. No doubt Talon was behind all of this. The mayor of the city had mysteriously disappeared amongst all the confusion and according to all reports, had his fingers in many pies. The bombing was just a cover for his escape. He was a coward, and he was up there on the list of people Zenyatta wanted to bring to justice.

Zenyatta and the two agents pinpointed the signal's origin to the rooftop of a high-rise building. Any signs of what the building had been no longer remained. He put his thermal goggles on and scanned the area for survivors. The only heatmaps he saw belonged to his teammates. Were they too late? Zenyatta removed the goggles and closed his eyes, focusing, tapping in to his Iris-given abilities. If someone really needed help he would be able to hear their thoughts of distress. 

“Zenyatta!” One of the agents cried out.   
WIDOWMAKER.  
WE’RE GONNA DIE.  
I DON’T WANNA DIE.  
I DON’T WA-

 

Widowmaker stepped out from behind a crumpled billboard. Two loud shots pierced the air and the other two agents’ thoughts ceased. Zenyatta opened his eyes in time to see her rifle pointed right at him. She didn’t hesitate to squeeze the trigger a third time. He was nothing but a target to her. 

The hustle and bustle of the civilian evacuation on the streets below, the helicopters overhead, all activity seemed to cease. The air was still and quiet for what felt like hours, but was only seconds. Suddenly, everything resumed, all sound was magnified times ten. People were screaming now, the helicopters sounded like they were getting closer and closer.   
Zenyatta glanced down to see a hole in his armor. He touched his stomach and saw his hand come away bloody. His head swam and the pain consumed him like a wildfire. Hot, white flashes of pain that had him on his knees in an instant. The comms were a dull hiss in his ears. How humiliating to die to the woman who murdered Mondatta. To the woman at the top of his list. 

“...gent Zenyatta. Agent Zenyatta!” Winston called frantically. “Answer us! We heard shots, please respond!” Widowmaker stepped closer and everything went to black.

Zenyatta’s consciousness went in and out. Was this really how he was expected to die? Darkness. I’m sorry Genji. I was foolish. Darkness. Master, I’m coming. Darkness. At some point he swore he was flying. Someone was speaking to him, but he couldn’t hear over the blood pounding in his ears. He moved his mouth, but no words came out. He was definitely moving, but his vision was too blurry to figure out where he was going. Darkness…

When Zenyatta came to, he was in a stark white room with bright fluorescent lighting. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut. Too bright. 

“Master? Are you awake?” Genji’s voice. He sounded exhausted, but hopeful. Zenyatta turned his head to the side and tentatively opened one eye. The light had been dimmed, most likely by Genji, so he opened the other. Genji had dark circles under his eyes, evidently from lack of sleep, but he was smiling. 

“Master I was so worried.” 

COULDN’T LOSE YOU.  
I LOVE YOU.  
HOW DO I TELL HIM?

Zenyatta smiled weakly and reached out to gently grasp Genji’s hand.

“Genji,” He croaked, his throat was painfully dry. “Water. Please.” Genji jumped up and was quick to pour water into a plastic cup from the pitcher at his bedside. He stuck a straw in it and handed it to Zenyatta. 

“Don’t sit up. The bed will do that for you.” Genji adjusted his position with the buttons on the side of the bed. Zenyatta took a much needed sip of water and set the cup down on a tray to the side. 

“What happened?” He asked. “After Widowmaker shot me, I mean.” He still felt fuzzy headed. Must be the painkillers. 

“Widowmaker contacted us through your comm device. She told us her bullets contained a certain type of poison that would cause total organ failure within hours and that we’d better hurry up. I was closest to your position, so I brought you back to the dropship and we set off for HQ. You were rushed into surgery.” Genji began fidgeting with his hands.

HOW DO I TELL HIM?  
DO IT NOW.   
RIP OFF THE BANDAID.  
HE WOULD WANT TO KNOW.

“There’s only so much Angela can do. She managed to apply nano weaves to save you some time until you woke up. She needs your permission to continue through with treatment since all of the organs within the bullet’s trajectory are dying. She wants to install cybernetics. It’s the only way to save your life.” Genji was met with total silence. This was a lot to take in.

“Zenyatta? Are you okay?” Zenyatta looked to Genji with a bewildered expression. 

“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just a lot to think about. I want to live and continue to change people’s lives, so I’ll do it. I just know the healing process is painful…” He also knew that some of the pain that came with it never went away. He had been there for Genji when he was kept up at night when the pain was so severe he could do nothing but whimper and lay motionless. The pain would last him a lifetime, but it was a small price to pay for his life. He was certain Genji, with his experience, would be by his side through the worst of it.

“There’s one more thing I should tell you.” Genji picked at the lint on his hoodie. Here comes the kicker… “Your spine was irreparably damaged. You won’t be able to walk unless Angela reconstructs it, but she told me that the procedure is optional. You’ll have to go through physical therapy to learn how to walk again.” Before Zenyatta could say anything, the door slid open and Dr. Ziegler smiled at them both. 

“Apologies for interrupting,” They both gave her their full attention. “Genji has told you what’s going on, right?” Zenyatta nodded, his head swimming from the motion. “Good. Then I expect you have come to a decision? I wouldn’t normally be this pushy, but the situation is quite dire.” He nodded again.

“I want to go through with it. I want to be able to walk again, too.” Zenyatta declared. Genji bit his lip. He was signing himself up for a lifetime of pain. Something he himself had an intimate experience with. An experience he wouldn’t wish on his greatest enemy. Genji’s thoughts were too chaotic for Zenyatta to pick out any one thing.

“I know you have your doubts Genji, but the decision is ultimately mine to make. I refuse to lie here and die.” He reached forward and clasped Genji’s hand in his. “Just say you’ll be with me every step of the way.” Genji squeezed Zenyatta’s hand. 

“Of course.” He seemed to be trying to convey something with his eyes, but Zenyatta was too out of it to pick up on his thoughts. He tried not to panic. Tried not to think about how he was actively dying at this very moment. Angela had stepped out into the hallway to call her assistant and have them prep the OR. It was best they had things ready to go ahead of time. This was going to be a long process. Genji helped Angela push Zenyatta’s bed into a room where she and several other doctors and nurses began preparing him for surgery. It was yet another unremarkable white room with bright lights. The atmosphere did nothing to calm his nerves. 

“Please hold my hand.” Zenyatta asked meekly. He had never had surgery before. Had never even broken a bone in his body. He was afraid to admit how terrified he was at the prospect of going under the knife. His heart rate climbed even higher once a mask slipped over his face and he was told to count backwards from ten. Genji was only permitted to be in the room until Zenyatta fell asleep. He left with a nagging feeling of dread. His feet dragged along the tiled floor. Everything would be okay. Angela is a world renowned surgeon. Nothing bad could possibly happen… Right? Zenyatta had been scared, and that was what worried him the most. His master had always seemed so sure and calm about everything.

Genji wondered, as he dragged himself down the hallway and out of the med bay, if Zenyatta's tranquil exterior was just a façade meant to hide his true vulnerabilities. He was like Hanzo, in a way, if that were the case. It was just so worrying to see the mask slip. Maybe he ought to encourage his Master to allow himself to be more free, including his worries and self-perceived flaws. He considered what Zenyatta had been through. There was no doubt he had been in love with Mondatta. Widowmaker took that part of his life away and as a result there was a certain anger that seemed to dwell inside Zenyatta when it came to the Talon sniper. 

And at the same time, there was a certain sadness. He had confided in Genji that he just couldn't bring himself to hate her. Not when he considered all she had been through; Talon's brainwashing, the genetic experiments performed on her body. Just how much of that was done with her full conscious cooperation? 

Genji heaved a deep sigh. He looked up and realized that he had made his way to the dining area seemingly on autopilot. It was an odd hour of the morning, so he didn't expect anyone to be there. However, the dining room was completely deserted save one person. Hanzo sat in the far corner of the room, sipping hot coffee from a mug and tapping away at a holopad. His head snapped up at the sound of the airlock doors sliding open. Years of being hunted had sharpened his instincts. 

"Hey Hanzo," He greeted. Thanks to Zenyatta's guidance, he and his brother had tentatively begun to speak to each other more. Hanzo settled down upon realizing the intruder was his brother. He had heard about what happened to Zenyatta on their most recent mission. The tired look on Genji’s face told him enough. He had been in the medbay all day today. He sighed and pushed his mug in front of Genji. 

“I’ll go get another. Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you?” Genji was exhausted, but he smiled at Hanzo’s suggestion. He picked up the half-full coffee mug, took a sip and grimaced. Of course it was sweetened beyond palatability. Still, it was coffee. Hanzo sat back down with a fresh mug as Genji began to recount the long day he had, as well as the worries he had for Zenyatta beyond living through surgery in the first place. Hanzo had completely ignored his datapad and began helping Genji to rationalize his admittedly irrational fears. There was still a lot of work to be done on their relationship, but they had gotten closer than they had been in years. All thanks to Zenyatta. To say Genji was worried was a grave understatement.


End file.
